Why don't you and I?
by Katteri
Summary: 1951; The Korean War, A Canadian Nurses adventure through the war at MASH 4077th. She's always caught the eye of Hawk. But will she fall for his constant charm? Or has he fallen for hers without realizing it? Rated T for now, may turn to M.
1. Chapter 1

Captain Hawkeye Pierce sighed from behind his surgical mask, beads of sweat littered his forehead. "Nurse, please – if anymore sweat drips into my mask I'm going to drown!" He glanced to his side where Nurse Leslie stood, slightly taken back - she looked as if she snapped from her trance. "Sorry, Doctor." She grabbed a towel and proceeded to pat his forehead dry.

"Between the shells coming down on us, I thought a monsoon had rolled in." Hawkeye pulled his gloves off before Leslie untied his gown, his blue eyes looked as Klinger and Nurse Edwina removed the solider from the table he'd finished sewing up. He sighed, looking around the Operating Room full of doctors and nurses; casualties one after another.

"No time for standing around Hawkeye, someone else is waiting for your magic touch." Two people brought in another stretcher. "Of course, they are – for a minute I thought no one might've been dying." He let Leslie put another surgical gown over his white scrubs and fresh gloves onto his hands.

Looking down, he paused – blinking for part-a-second. "This is..." He tiled his head, to the female laying on her side with her stomach more-so on the stretcher. "Alice." He looked over her green t-shirt that had become soaked to a darker colour.

Alice was one of their top nursers, who'd been with them since the start, seeing her on the stretcher before him, Hawkeye had to pause and collect his thoughts.

"Hi." Alice half flashed a weak smile as a dull pain consumed her entire left side.  
"What the Hell happened?" Hawkeye looked around for an explanation.

"They – they started firing at our chopper site..." Radar looked around the tables in the room, his eyes going wide behind his glasses. "She was helping unload wounded and a shell hit – must've been only a foot away!" Radar exclaimed as he explained. "It hit the side of the chopper and metal all over!"

"Rude, I know..." Alice said trying to bring her sarcastic and slightly witty humour out but her words were dull – pained ... Distant.

"You're going to be okay, just relax, you'll welcome the sudden onset of sleep." Hawkeyes eyes kept looking over her pale face before looking at the nurse; "start a pint of O-Neg." He said and she nodded quickly, stepping off to grab what they needed.

Hawkeye took the stainless steel sharp scissors and he cut her shirt up the side, pushing it back revealing the tiny uneven pattern of shrapnel spray up her side and into her back and stomach.

"You know, this isn't the first time you've been in bed and I've taken your shirt off." He tried to lighten the mood in his personal bubble of space.

Watching her crack a small smile, he felt he'd accomplished something. "Alright, Ali – good night – see you when you wake up." Hawkeye assured as he nodded to Ugly John who nodded, putting the mask over her nose. "Deep breath Beautiful." John said.

"You're going to be fine, Alice." Hawkeye assured her, watching her eyes start to close. "I know... I've got the, best in ... town..." She got out slowly in a mumble before drifting off into a blackness...

"Long fingers." Hawkeye held his hand out and Leslie passed him an instrument. "Long fingers."

"Have sponges ready." He added, starting to dig carefully into the wounds removing the tiny pieces of shrapnel and putting them into a metal bowl... "And keep the blood on stand-by; she's lost a lot of it."...

"Is she going to be okay?" Trapper asked from behind Hawkeye at another table, sewing his patient back up, but pausing for the moment. "She'll be fine." Hawkeye glanced back for a fraction of a second...

_The moon was bright as the stars threw light on the green canvas tents of the M*A*S*H 4077th 's base._

_The doors to the post-op ward swung open as Doctors and Nurses emerged slowly, exhaustion over their faces. Twelve hours of meatball surgery more incoming wounded being announced over the PA system every moment someone blinked... Finally for the moment, silence._

_"I'm not sure if my legs are going to remember how to bend in the sitting position." Hawkeye said walking with his eyes nearly closed._

_"Don't worry; I'll just push you over." Trapper rubbed his face. "Oh, thanks buddy." Hawkeye glanced to his side in his friends direction._

"_Anytime." Trapper said through a large yawn._

"_God I hope this war doesn't last long." Hawkeye stretched out a little. "Didn't we just get here?" Trapper arched his eyebrow, it had only been two weeks..._

"_It feels so much longer without sleeping!" Hawkeye groaned._

_"I for one feel fantastic!" Frank said strolling by the two of them with half a smile of cockiness._

_"That's great Frank." Hawkeye looked at the back of his head. "Just don't fall asleep on Hot Lips tonight." Trapper smirked looking at Hawkeye who snickered._

_"Or in her..." Hawkeye grinned childishly. _Frank stopped walking, which caused Trapper and Hawkeye to stop quickly.

_"I beg your pardon!" Frank said sharply looking between the two Captains who kept an innocent expression over their faces._

_"Oh, you're pardoned Frank." Hawkeye smiled a curt smile with his lips, he still wore his surgical cap, his black hair stuck out around the bottom hem. _

_Before Frank could sound off on a rant or two... They all turned to see the headlights of a Jeep roll in, its tires pressing into the soupy dirt from the heavy rain the passed two days. _

"_Visitors? So late into the night... Could it be, the war is finally over?" Hawkeye tried not to stare into the approaching headlights. "I doubt it, Hawk." Trapper walked around his best friend and out of the way. _

"_Radar!" Trapper said seeing the short driver a hat pulled down and glasses. The Jeep slowed down to a stop. "Hi Sirs." He smiled a little seeing them. "Whats this? Have you captured another beautiful woman to keep tied up in the supply tent?" Hawkeye asked, seeing the woman in the passenger seat who wore the same uniform as they did. _

"_I... Wh... No Sirs." Radar stammered a little bit, looking to his right. "This is Lieutenant Wilson – she's the nurse that got transfer orders from Japan." He explained. _

"_Oh, well – Hello Lieutenant." Hawkeye smiled a charmers smile. _

"_Hello." She said quickly as she moved her ID tags glinted in the moons light. "Nice to meet you." She added._

"_Oh it'll be hardly nice – these two are trouble, I'd advise you to stay away from them." Frank said, looking over their shoulders to the Lieutenant.  
"Oh, I forgot my stick with pointy edge at home... I guess I'll have to mail order for one." She said, looking around the base._

_Trapper snickered. "Good to have you Lieutenant. I'm Trapper McIntyre." He extended his hand now. "Pleasure – Alice Wilson." She took his hand and shook it firmly. _

"_This is my counter-part; Hawkeye Pierce." He gestured to Hawkeye. _

"_Hello." Hawkeye smiled, taking her hand into his and kissing the top of it softly. _

"_Charming." Alice smiled slightly, looking over him. "That's me. I have a world record in charm." Hawkeye let her hand go._

_"I thought it was a world record in promiscuity." Frank muttered. _

"_No... Not yet, it wasn't made official before I got drafted but I'm fairly certain the title is mine..." Hawkeye nodded, before he lent in closer to Alice and whispered. "I don't like to brag." He winked. _

"_If you Sirs don't mind, I have to take the Lieutenant to Colonel Blake." Radar was looking between them.  
"Why yes, good clerk – go... Be free." Hawkeye gestured to the land around them. Radar rolled his eyes halfway and pulled off across the rest of the base. _

_Hawkeye and Trapper exchanged short glances before they smirked. "Trapper my good man, I think sleep is on hold." He said as they both started to stroll across the base toward Henrys office..._

"_Lieutenant Alice Wilson; welcome to MASH 4077th." Henry yawned, looking at the file Radar handed him._

"_Thank you Colonel." Alice smiled, looking at him in his green army pants and blue with orange woo sweater. _

"_I'll have Radar help you get your things to your tent and we'll work the formalities out tomorrow. I'm beat." He admitted, a glass with a shot of Whiskey near his hand. _

"_Thank you, Colonel." Alice said again. _

"_Oh, call him Henry, we don't do formalities here." Hawkeye strolled into the office. _

"_Shut up Pierce." Henry warned him, although he was right... _

"_I'll help you with your stuff, Sir-Ma'am-Sir." Radar stammered, looking down at her – and someone for the first time since he arrived not long ago. _

_Alice was only five feet and three inches in height. "Thank you Corporal." She smiled at him, she watched his cheeks turn a slight red as he rushed out of the office and Alice followed behind him. "Good night, Sirs." She saluted them on her way out._

"_Nice." Trapper said, with his head cocked to the side, watching as Alice left and the door swinging closed behind her. _

"_What's her deal?" Hawkeye asked, looking at Henry before grabbing the file from his desk, opening it up. _

"_Ohh, a Canadian – I heard they are wonderful lovers." He wiggled his eyebrows. _

"_Pierce, can it." Henry stood up, tossing the shot of alcohol back and swallowing it. _

"_I didn't know we got Canadians." Trapper looked at the file. _

"_I had Canadians once..." Hawkeye looked up thoughtfully. _

"_Oh yeah?" Trapper asked, taking the file. _

"_Mmm-hmm... You just have to bath in maple syrup for a week – no big deal really." He nodded.  
"Oh." Trapper turned the files page. _

"_Would you two cut it out? I'd like if there was one nurse you didn't ruin!" Henry stared between them._

_Trapper grinned; "Sorry dad." _

"_Ha-ha." Henry glared a little bit. "I'm seriously, I want you two to behave." He pointed._

"_Can I have my curfew pushed ahead to midnight instead of eleven?" Hawkeye asked and Henry sighed. _

"_If I wasn't insane before this, I will be the time I leave." He rubbed his forehead. _

"_Embrace it, Henry." Trapper laughed._

"_Give me that – and get some sleep." Henry pulled the file folder from Trappers grip and stared over them._

"_Alright, alright." Trapper held his hands up in defence and smiled next as he skipped from the officer with Hawkeye behind. "Good night, Henry." He waved leaving the door closing behind him..._

"_S-s-s-...So where are you from?" Radar asked, carrying a box beside Alice who carried her duffle bag. "Canada – Prince Edward Island actually – Avonlea." She explained. _

"_Oh." Radar said, putting the box down. _

"_You have no idea where that is, do you?" Alice tried not to laugh. _

"_Well... I know where Canada is... And Prince Edward Island... But my geography of the area is rusty. He tried to smile._

"_Good enough, thank you." She added, putting her bag down. Looking around the empty tent. "Where is everyone?" She noticed the two other empty bunks. "Oh they have the night shift in post-op." He nodded and stuffed his hands into his pockets. _

"_Thanks a lot, have a good night." Alice smiled once more and Radar returned the smile. "Good night Lieutenant." He saluted.  
"No need to salute." She assured as he slowly put his arm down and rushed from the tent._

"_What an unusual place." She admitted, rolling the blanket from the end of the bunk and spreading it out..._

"Hey... Hey how're you feeling?" Hawkeyes voice came from the darkness that had become hazy and bright as Alice opened her eyes, trying to sit up, but giving up quickly and letting herself rest back on the pillow.

"Dead." She muttered lowly. Hawkeye broke into a grin. "Nope, you're right as rain!" He was lent down at her side, looking at her dressing he'd wrapped around her torso.

"I had the weirdest dream." Alice admitted, keeping her eyes closed.

"Oh yeah?" Hawkeye asked, he brushed some of her coal back hair back, touching her forehead. "Mmm... It was like the first day I got here." She admitted.

"Really? I was... Thinking about that, too." He kinda laughed. "I need you to get some'more rest. We'll talk more in the morning, okay?" He stood up.

"Good night, Hawk." Alice yawned slightly now.

"Good night, Blue." Hawkeye looked up to the light shining down on her hair, it was so black in shade in the light it appeared like it had a blue tint...


	2. Chapter 2

In the Eastern sky of Korea the Sun began to peer itself over the horizon line, string clouds of a silver-like shade moved slowly in the orange sky with the cool breeze; Hawkeye wearing his green uniform pants and tan t-shirt had his red bath robe over himself walked across the hardening mud of the base, his ID tags making small _'clinks' _against one another each step he took.

"Good morning, Captain." Klinger saluted as their paths crossed his pink silk-like dress blew around his legs in the breeze.

"Hi Klinger – you've got mud on your heels." He pointed down as Klinger looked and gasped. "I just got these on sale! Oh, no, no, no!" He said quickly rushing off toward his tent.

Hawkeye shook his head, let out a small laugh and pushed the post-op wards door open, stepping inside.

His boots on the wooden floor in the silence had a few alert solider's glance in his direction.

"Good morning Doctor.." Nurse Kellye looked up from a chart with a smile. "Morning." He said walking by to the far end of the ward to the last bed on the left, he opened his mouth to speak – but closed his mouth for a minute.

As he looked down he was staring at a young man whose head was bandaged, asleep with in both arms. "Either with that shrapnel was magic beans I didn't remove or my patients disappeared." Hawkeye turned back to look at Kelley who couldn't help but laugh. "We needed the bed – we moved her back to the tent." She explained. "Leslie's been keeping an eye on her, but she seems to be doing fine, we gave her some more blood before we moved her and gave her some Penicillin." She nodded.

"That would be the logical answer in this situation." Hawkeye pondered. "Thanks a lot." He added, taking the second exit from post-op and walked across the, he knocked as the door casually before strolling in. "Good morning; your breakfast in bed has arrived!" Hawkeye extended both arms and closed his eyes as if he was waiting for several ladies to fawn over him... He opened one eye slowly and looked around the neat tent, seeing the first two bunks empty and the third with Alice sitting up, her eyebrow raised.

"Funny, the draft advertisement promised at least three women would flaunt over me in the morning, I knew those perks wouldn't be delivered." He sat on the edge of Alice's bunk and picked up her chart.

"Good morning Hawk." She said letting her eyebrow down from its raised position. "Good morning." He grinned. "Feel free to flaunt over me all you want – I don't know if you can handle all of me though." He winked, flipping a chart page.

"Oh please, don't let your ego blow up anymore you might start floating away." Alice said.

"Then you could grab on and we'll float right out of this war, baby." Hawkeye made a gesture with his hand that indicated them floating off into the distance.

Alice scoff-laughed, shaking her head slightly. "How're you feeling, seriously?" He brought the back of his hand to touch her forehead.

"Fine." Alice nodded simply.

"No, I mean how do you feel really, not what you're suppose to say in the Army." Hawkeye put the chart down on the foot locker turned night stand.

"Really, I'm fine – just a little sore." She assured, her green eyes looked lively unlike a couple hours ago.

"May I see?" He asked, looking at her torso area.

"I still think this is a ploy to get my shirt off." Alice said pushing the blanket down and pulling her shirt up carefully, Hawkeye had wrapped a bandage around her entire torso.

"You've caught me. That's exactly what it is." He looked up from looking over her bandages, "I'm ordering bed rest for the next couple of days." He said. "Bed rest with me." He added grinning wildly.

"Oh get out of here." Alice pushed him a little bit and he swayed off the side and swayed back. "What am I suppose to do in bed for the next two days?" She asked before looking up quickly. "Do not even answer that!" She pointed at him, her tone sharp. Hawkeye started to laugh, leaning over slightly be bit her finger tip lightly. "You know me, so well!" He tormented playfully.

"Sleep, read – work on a speech to end the war or something." Hawkeye said now standing up. "Have you eaten anything?" He stretched. "I'm not really hungry." Alice admitted, looking at the I.V in her arm.

"You need to eat." He put his hands into his pants pockets.

"Yeah – later." Alice nodded laying back on her bunk. "I'm suppose to rest." She smiled.

Hawkeye shook his head, giving in a little bit. "Alright, fine. Rest." He pointed at her. "I'll check in later." He added ducking out of the door, letting it close softly...

"You're up unthinkably early." Trapper said meeting him as they walked in the same direction toward the mess tent.

"So why are you awake?" Hawkeye asked, picking up a metal tray.

"Am I? I thought I was dreaming." He slapped himself in the face lightly. "Guess not." He stood in the lineup beside Hawkeye, the line moving slowly as Radar was in front filling up.

"How's Ali?" He asked, picking up a white mug.

"Good, I put her on bed rest for a few days, she hasn't bled through her bandages and her stats are good." He smiled.

"That's good – people've been asking. I noticed she wasn't in post-op when I went to check on the guy I worked on last night. I worried." He admitted watching the blob of something that looked like oatmeal but was too thick to be oatmeal glob onto his tray.

"Head wound right?" Hawkeye asked as they moved to sit at the table which had Radar, Frank and Margaret.

"Yeah, him – he's doing great. He might have a chance to see his twentieth birthday." Trapper picked up his spoon.

"Good job." Hawkeye pulled the bowl of sugar across the table and dropped at least five cubes into his coffee.

"Care for any coffee with that sugar Pierce?" Frank asked with a cocky head motion of the back and forth kind. He was smirking proud of his statement.

"Thats really good Frank... Hilarious." Trapper looked up from watching his spoon slowly fall over in the glob of oatmeal.

"I'm dying with laughter on the inside – it consumes me." Hawkeye looked up from watching the sugar cubes float and start to dissolve within the black liquid.

Franks smile faded and he looked down to his tray slowly, he muttered under his breath and poked at what seemed like an egg.

"I thought it was hilarious, Frank." Margaret touched his shoulder carefully, he looked at her and smiled.

"You hear that, Frank? Hot Lips says it was funny. It must've been." Trapper let his fork drop to the table.

"Oh shut up!" Frank snapped.

"Oh Radar – in between your daily feedings do you think you could bring Alice something to eat?" Hawkeye looked across the table to him, Radar stopped bringing the fork to his mouth, was silent for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, no problem." He flashed a quick smile before putting the fork into his mouth.

"Thanks." Hawkeye pushed his tray away from himself and sighed, leaning back, holding his coffee cup...

"How does one even start a letter to end the war? What do you even say?" Alice going out of her mind without something to do, stared at a bank piece of paper in her hand. "Please stop fighting? Free drinks..." She pondered bringing her finger to her mouth in thought, she sighed, crushing the paper into a ball and tossing it into the the trash can across the tent.

She looked at the tents door as a knocking came from it. "Come in." She said, watching the door open and close as Radar appeared.

"Hi Radar." She smiled seeing him.

"Hi Lieutenant." He balanced a tray on his forearm and a coffee mug in the other.

"Alice." She said.

"Sorry Lieutenant-Alice-Lieutenant." Radar said quickly correcting himself and getting confused. "I brought you some breakfast." He put the mug down on the floor locker and the tray beside it.

"That was thoughtful, thank you very much." Alice looked over the tray. "Is that oatmeal?" She poked it with her finger.

"It's something like that, yes." Radar smiled, playing with his fingers.

"Hey, who knows, maybe it'll seal my wounds from the inside." She smiled and Radar laughed carefully.

"I'm glad you're okay and feeling better." He put his hands down to his sides now. Alice smiled; "Thanks a lot." She smiled picking up the coffee and taking a sip, before holding it in her hands, the mugs temperature warming to hands.

"I guess I should leave you alone now." Radar put his hand against the door. "Besides Colonel Blake wants me to try to find more toilet paper... We're close to running out since Hawk and Trapper decided to mummify Frank that night." Radar smiled brightly before his smile faded and he looked away.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked seeing him, putting her mug down, her eyes not leaving his direction.

"Choppers." He said in a normal voice before he pushed the tent door open and rushed out quickly. "CHOPPERS!" He exclaimed before the sound of Helicopters fill the surrounding area.

"Attention: Incoming wounded, all personnel report for duty, all personnel report for duty; Ambulance to the landing pad. Attention: Incoming wounded." The PA announced over the rushing of boots to the ground.

"A logical person would accept they shouldn't go anywhere... But a Nurse would disobey that logic..." Alice looked at the IV in her arm, she brought her fingers about to clasp it to pull it out carefully but the tent door swung open.

"Don't you touch that IV, do not touch it! You stay right here or I'll ... I'll have to spank you." Hawkeye said pointing his finger at her, seeing what she was about to do as he was running by.

"But..." Alice started. "N-n-no." Hawkeye warned her. "You stay put. It's only a couple." He said coming over. "Now you just lay back, rest some rest – eat your oatmeal..." He pushed her back onto her pillow carefully and tucked the blanket in around her. "Seriously. You'd only do more harm to yourself." He poked her nose before he left the tent.

"Was I just tucked in by Hawkeye Pierce?" Alice asked after a moment...

The morning sank into the afternoon and the afternoon sank into evening, the Sun began to settle itself in the Western sky as the sky turned to a darker blue colour and stars started becoming visible with the oncoming darkness.

"So, you didn't miss much, nothing exciting a promise." Hawkeye assured as he held franks helmet filled with popcorn that had a gauze pad as a liner between the helmet and the buttery popcorn.

"You're just saying that so I don't feel like I missed anything." Alice looked at him, sitting beside her on her bunk, reaching over she took some popcorn.

"Is it working?" He wondered, tiling his head in her direction to look over her profile view. "Absolutely not." She looked at him seriously. "Well I'm trying you're just SO hard to please." He explained casually giving her a friendly smile before popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"Why aren't you at the movie?" Alice asked suddenly, looking in the direction of the mess tent.  
"I've seen it... Fifteen years ago." Hawkeye shrugged, "Aren't you spoiled." Alice smiled and he laughed, laying back on the bunk, his hand behind his head on the pillow.

"Do you remember, when we thought the war was over and I told you, I was married?" Hawkeye asked as he looked at the ceiling.

"Of course I do. You dick." Alice laughed...

"_I can't wait to sleep, in my own bed... For months." Hawkeye was pulling things off the supply shelfs putting them into packing crates, looking at Alice who was reluctantly putting things into the crates, she was a pessimist like Trapper they were totally unbelieving about any cease fire happening. "Sure you are... With about five females around you I'm sure." Alice said tossing gauze rolls behind, they landed in the crate. _

"_No... I don't think." Hawkeye started, before stopping. His day had consisted of breaking nurses hearts. "Joining the priest hood are you?" Alice wondered looking at him._

"_No." Hawkeye laughed, "I guess you should know... And since we're both in the medical field... You'll understand. I'm terminal..." He whispered.  
"With?" Alice raised her eyebrow at him, with a half blank expression, expecting this to be good. _

"_I'm terminally married... I also have children pox." Hawkeye said seriously. _

_Alice didn't say anything, Hawkeye stepped back slightly wondering if she was contemplating violence against him... Although, she hadn't so easily fallen into lust with him like the others, in fact he wasn't sure what they were...Margaret and her were the only nurses he hadn't entirely gotten into bed._

"_You're terminally bullshit with liar, liar pans on fire pox." Alice said rolling her eyes, going back to un-stocking the shelf. "Am not." Hawkeye said quickly. _

"_Oh you fucking are." Alice laughed. "How do you know?!" Hawleye looked bewildered at her. _

"_Because... You don't seem like the marriage type." Alice shrugged. "You're liar, liar." She sang slightly._

_Hawkeye smirked. "What language." He teased. He brought his hands to her sides, holding them as he pressed her against the shelf, his front into hers. "You know, I should clean your mouth out with soap for that." He lent his head down. "However... I think I packed it all ... So I'll just have to use my tongue." He grinned, bringing his lips to kiss her quickly. _

_Alice brought her hands up slowly to his chest, she moved her head away after a few long moments and watched him, looking confused. "You don't tell someone you're married ... Then try to stick your tongue down their throat." She looked amused. Brushing her hands down his arms, to his hands, she took them off her sides and brought them to his sides. _

_She stepped off to the side and away from between him and the shelf. "You can finish this, right?" She asked, looking at the nearly empty shelves. "What?" Hawkeye broke his daze of rejection._

"_Good night Hawkeye." Alice waved by wiggling her fingers._

"_Night..." He looked at her disappear from the supply tent..._

"I wasn't a dick!" Hawkeye looked from the ceiling to her.  
"You lied about being married, how is that NOT a dick move?" Alice asked laying back beside him.

"It just... It wasn't... Silence." He warned her.

"Oh make me." Alice whispered, rolling her eyes.

"Make you? Well... You said..." Hawkeye rolled onto his side, looking at her, his hand brushed against her face and his lips touched against hers in a light kiss, Alice lent her head up partly and returned it carefully, the popcorn filled helmet Hawkeye had placed on the edge of the bunk, fell over and the content spilled over onto the floor as Hawkeyes tongue ran against her lower lip making the kiss deeper.

"Okay... Okay... You silenced her, are you coming to play poker or not?" Trappers voice took over the room as Hawkeye pulled back slowly. "Really? You came to ask me that... While I'm romancing?" He looked to him.

Trapper shrugged. "If I'm not getting any, why should you?" He laughed. "Yes or no?" He added shuffling a deck of cards in his hands.

"Yes, he is..." Alice answered for him.

"Are you joining us?" Trapper wondered.

"Are you going to carry me?" Alice questioned and Trapper laughed. "I thought you hurt your abdomen not your legs." He smiled.

"Yeah, but... Come on," Alice pulled a whining voice which Trapper shook his head, too.

"Carry her Hawk – continue your romancing." He shook his head snickering as he left the tent.

"Yeah, carry me – continue your romancing." Alice looked at him repeating what Trapper said.

"Oh this is just being taken advantage of." Hawkeye stood up, his boots crunching the popcorn.

"Yeah, how does it feel with the shoe on the other foot?" Alice asked.

Hawkeye paused, as he picked her up bridal style carefuly, "not good." He had to admit honestly, leaving the tent with her heading toward the Swamp.

"How come you never carry me like that?" Klinger asked seeing them pass carrying a rifle and a clutch bag, "You never ask." Hawkeye said pointing out as he strolled by.

"All I had to do was ask?" Klinger asked, looking back to them but he was alone in the darkness...


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you to everyone reviewing/reading. It means a lot! _

Deep into the night, around the crate turned poker table, Henry, Radar, Trapper, Hawkeye, Alice and Klinger – who found it getting too cold to patrol the base without his furs sat around it, cards in their hands, a pile of money in the middle of the table, as well as a watch and a three day pass to Tokyo. "Refill anyone?" Alice asked, sitting in between Hawkeye and Trapper, she wore Trappers green M-65 Army jacket to keep warm as it had gotten somewhat chilly and she held the tall pitcher with Gin.

"Oh might as well, fill it." Henry kept his eyes on his cards as he held out his glass, Alice poured the liquid into it and set the pitcher back down. "Having to drink away your sorrow? Cards that bad Colonel?" Trapper asked, holding his cards in one hand.

"Oh shut up." Henry looked across the crate at Trapper.

"I'll take that as a yes and I'll raise ten." Hawkeye tossed in some crumpled money into the pile on the centre of the table.

Trapper looking over his cards, they weren't a terrible hand, he felt his pockets which contained nothing more than pieces of lint and a button. "In or out Trap?" Hawkeye looked at him.

"Ohh... I don't have any money left." Trapper looked up finally from his cards and stopped feeling himself up for money. "So, hold." Radar said quickly, looking restless, his cards close to his face. "I mean;" he cleared his throat, "take your time." His eyes shifted. "Very inconspicuous, Radar." Klinger nudged him with a grin. "Hurry it up, Trapper." Henry made a 'come on' gesture with his hand.

Trapper who'd been biting the inside of his cheek, let it go and glanced around. "I raise you an Alice." He said making the gesture like he was placing her on the table.

"You can't do that." Radar gasped. "Yeah – Trapper, what the hell?" Alice stared at him.  
Trapper held his hand up, "I mean, I raise you an Alice, you get her one night, drinks as Rosie's on me." He nodded.

"I didn't agree to this." Alice looked between them at the crate but mostly stared at Trapper.  
"You can't sell a person! It's illegal!" Radar spoke up quickly, nervously. "I'm not selling... I'm betting them..." Trapper said.

"Fine, bet accepted – can we finish this, we should be getting some shut eye." Henry yawned a long yawn as he tipped back the last of the liquid in his martini glass.

"Sorry Henry, we forgot your old bones just ain't what they use to be." Hawkeye smirked over his eyes and lent away as a poker chip went by his head.

As the cards made placement on the table in front of their holders, Klinger looked up. "I WON! I WON!" He said brightly, moving his hands to pull the cash in the centre close to himself. "Oh I'm going to buy daddy some new heels." He said picking up and sorting the cash out casually.

"Nice, Klinger – really nice." Trapper said, picking up the cards putting them back into the deck.

"Don't worry darling – I'll look fantastic for our evening out!" Klinger said, standing behind Alice, his hands on her shoulders, he squeezed them lightly and smiled. Before he left the Swamp cheering gleefully.

"I can't believe you, you bet AND lose me?" Alice was looking at Trapper, "sorry. I thought I had it." Trapper admitted letting the cards fall into their box. "Trapper you really do suck at poker, you know that." Hawkeye said standing up, putting his glass down beside the still and pulling the chair back to the space between it and the bunk.

"I thought maybe my luck had changed, sorry Alice... I'll make it up to you." Trapper assured, taking off his yellow bathrobe. "Yeah, by never using me as a poker bet again." She said standing up after a slow moment of thinking about if she could stand. Her left side still ached as the odd placement of tiny stitches pulled slightly. "Ouu." She put her hand on her left side.

"You okay?" Hawkeye asked, coming to her side. "Fine – stop asking me that." Alice nodded while giving him a look. "Alright, fine. Be stubborn." Hawkeye backed off a little bit and Henry cleared his throat. "Remind you of anyone, Pierce?" He pulled his jacket over himself. "Just a bit." Hawkeye admitted before yawning.

"Can I, walk you back to your tent?" Radar asked Alice, looking only slightly down to her face; which he really hadn't gotten use to yet. "It would be a pleasure." Alice nodded with a smile, before she turned her head in Trappers direction and her face and tone became dull. "You watch yourself." She made 'I'm watching you' finger gestures at him. "I guess she really isn't fond of being sold." Hawkeye looked across the tent to Trapper as he pulled his blankets over himself.

"Who knew?" Trapper said trying to pull an innocent expression getting under his own blankets before he lent up turning the light out...

"Its going to start snowing soon." Radar said as they walked together between the tents, his hands in his pockets. "Which means Christmas." Radar thought about it, how not being home for Christmas would be for him here, the first time not spending Christmas with his mother, uncle Ed and his nephews.

"Is Christmas your favourite holiday, Radar?" Alice wondered, her own hands in her pockets.

"Oh yeah! I love Christmas, the snow, the tree... Decorating the tree, when – when we decorate the tree, my mother always makes homemade cocoa... It really is the best stuff." Radar said brightly in thought, but his expression dulled out.

"What's the matter?" Alice asked although knowing as they stopped walking outside her tent. "Oh, nothing – just thinking about Christmas makes me remember that I probably wont be home." He looked down to his boots, "not for my sake or anything." He said quickly looking up. "For my mother, I mean." He nodded.

"Of course." Alice had never thought of Radar as a boy, always a young man, but in the moment that's all she could see in his eyes under the camps spot lights, a young boy; who really wanted nothing more in this moment than to be home on Christmas, several months away in actuality but so close in sight.

"Well," Radar broke the silence, "good night." He said.

"Good night, Radar - You're a fine young man walking a girl home." Alice lent in and lightly kissed his cheek, before stepping inside her tent, the wood closing quickly against the breeze.

Radar touching his cheek, he grinned to himself proudly and strolled off, to catch some sleep himself...

As the temperature dropped over night, it remained in the morning as the sun came up. Everything had a glazed look of cold over it that unlike frost would not disappear into the afternoon. "Holy crap, it's freezing!" Leslie pulled her clothes under her blankets as she tried getting dressed. "It's only going to get colder, you might as well get use to it." Kellye said standing close to their stove shivering.

"It looks like you're doing a fantastic job of getting use to it, Kellye." Alice laughed, pulling her boots on and tying them.

"Oh shut up." Kellye laughed rubbing her arms quickly, "since when are you a McIntyre?" She added noticing the name on the oversized jackets beast pocket flap Alice was wearing."Oh long story." Alice admitted as Leslie and Kellye turned to look at her quickly with wide eyes. "Not that kind of story you nitwits." Alice narrowed her eyes seriously and Kellye let out a breath of relief as Leslie laughed. "So, explain yourself." She looked interested.

"I'm apparently Trappers property, he bet me in poker last night – a night out at Rosie's drinks on him." She stood up, taking his jacket off and pulling hers on, zipping it up.

"Who won?" Leslie arched her eyebrow, putting her thin green gloves on her hands.

"Klinger." Alice said, holding her hair and twisting it up into a tight bun. The girls started laughing, "Someone at least has to look girly on your date." Leslie laughed falling back on her bunk.

"Oh you are just so-so hilarious!" Alice said dryly looking over the two of them. As a knock came to the door, the girls settled. "Mail..." Radar said from the outside.

"Come in Radar." Kelley said pulling her sweater on and her jacket.  
The door opened and Radar stepped in, a bag over his shoulder he held the mail. "For you, - you're hometowns used car dealership is having a sale." He said to Leslie. "Free cookies and balloons for small children." He added as he handed her the mail.

"And you got a postcard from Dewy Cheatem financial, its a perfect time to re-finance your house." He handed the small pile of letters to Kelley.

"Thanks Radar." Kelley and Leslie said together laughing.

Radar turned slightly, looking at Alice with a worried expression. "What's up?" Alice asked, not liking the way he stared at her.

"Colonel Blake would like to see you, in his office... Right away." Radar said. "It's important." He added, nervously.

Alice stopped making her bunk and stood up straight, the girls had stopped laughing and looked serious.

"Is everything okay?" Alice didn't understand why Henry would be wanting to see her – importantly. "I think you just better, come." Radar nodded he'd made this his last mail stop instead of his first.

"Okay, sure." Alice said following Radar out of the tent and they briskly walked into the office.

"What's up Henry?" Alice asked seeing him standing behind his desk, waiting her arrival.

"Alice." He started up. "Radar, do you mind?" He asked casually seeing him lingering around.

"Oh, right – sorry Sir." Radar said putting a file folder down heading to leave quickly.

Alice tilted her head as Radar left the office before looking back to Henry. "Now you're worrying me, what's going on?" Alice asked.

"Have you been sending any mail?" Henry asked, his fingers tapping against the desks top.

Alice shrugged; "Hasn't everybody?" She put her hands into her pockets, the feeling in the room was weird.

"Most peoples letters, don't all come back marked; 'Return to Sender' Alice." Henry pulled up two high stacks of letters held together by brown string. "The office in Seoul has been keeping them as they returned figuring it was an address mistake; but finally they sent them back here in the mail call."

Alice looked at the stacks, she bit her lip. "Typical Canada post making a mistake somewhere – obviously." She let out a nervous laugh. "Definitely a mistake on their part, sorry Colonel." She reached for the mail but Henry put his hand over them. "Lieutenant, what's going on?"

"Nothing. Really... Nothing." Alice pulled a letter from the stack, "Oh, look... It was my fault... My ones look they sevens. I'll just fix that." Alice took the piles of letters from Henry and held them against her chest. "Alice!" Henry said sharply as she left the office quickly.

"Everything okay Sir?" Radar poked his head around the door frame looking at his Colonel. "Not really Radar." Henry wouldn't understand it himself.

"Anything I can do to help?" He wondered.

"Yeah, figure out why after a year someone never notices their home address isn't correct." Henry rubbed his forehead.

"I could make some calls Sir." Radar offered

"No, no... This is something I need direct answers from." Henry thought.

"Maybe I should get Hawkeye to talk to her?" Radar suggested next, he nervously adjusted his glasses.

"No, that's alright Radar, I'll figure something out." Henry assured, "Okay Sir, I'll leave you be for now." He nodded giving a slight smile as he ducked out from the office.

"Golly, this place never has a calm moment." He said looking at his pillow where his teddy bear was tucked under safely.

"Who needs calm? This place would be hostile without it." Hawkeye said strolling into the office, his red bathrobe around him tightly. "Oh hi Hawk." Radar looked to him.

"What's up?" He asked before he walked into Henrys office seeing him behind the desk, a drink in his hand.

"So early? What happened?" He noted sitting down.

"Oh nothing Pierce; just more stress on my brain." Henry explained shaking his head slowly.

"Stress? Really I've never heard of it, is it a new thing or something?" He asked and Henry gave him a slightly dark look.

"so what's happening? I'm a doctor you know and maybe I can help." Hawkeye placed his fingers together on his chest, slouching down a little to get comfortable. "The mail department in Seoul is ready to have my neck." Henry explained taking a drink.

"What did I tell you about ordering smut? You're tarnishing this outfit Sir!" Hawkeye hit the desk lightly trying to get him to smile with no avail.

"It isn't me... They've held a years worth of returned mail." He explained.

"Oh?" Hawkeye asked, "whose?"

"You know that's personal information." Henry finished his drink, putting the glass down and exhaling.

"Nothing is personal here; so really - whose causing you trouble?"

"It was Alice's mail, its all been returned to sender, two stacks and when I asked her not so many minutes ago she claimed her ones an sevens crossed over." Henry cleared his throat the flys on his fishing hat rocked a little.

"Avonlea is a town of very few people, Pierce - it isn't making sense. What do you know?" He wondered.

"I don't; you know out of all the things We've talked about her family never came up, mind you she listened to my rambling enough." Hawkeye rubbed his lower lip with his finger in thought.

"Ill speak to her, how's that?" Hawkeye stood up and Henry waved him to sit again. "Just leave it for now okay? We have a post op full we need to move out today and we're running out of socks without holes!"

"Alright relax." Hawkeye said standing up again and clearing his throat. "It'll be fine Henry." He touched his shoulder in console and turned to leave.

"Pierce what did you want?" Henry looked up, "oh? I just wanted some socks without holes but I'll see if Mama Klinger can knit me some." Hawkeye said leaving the office...

"Can I sit here?" Radar asked holding his over piled tray of lunch mystery seeing Alice sitting alone poking as almost liquid potatoes. "Sure Radar." She looked up for a minute, her hand was on her cheek supporting her head.

"Thanks." He sat down across from her and started putting away his lunch quickly. A fork in one hand and a hard piece of bread in the other.

It was quiet between them, chatter around them was sparse, mostly clinks of trays and mugs to the table. Before Radar left like he boiled over when curiosity. "Why did all you mail come back?!" He asked quickly before he covered his mouth with his bread looking away.

"Really Radar?" Alice put her fork down and it sank into the soupy potatoes. "I'm sorry! I'm curious! Mother always said if I was a cat my nine lives would be gone before I woke up for the day." Radar explained looking apologetic.

Alice signed, "fine; okay." She said looking around and back to him. "I mean you don't have to tell me why Ruth Wilson returned all your mail!" He rushed his words.

Alice raised both eyebrows at him, "I'm sorry... When big stacks of mail come I can't help but look at the name." He looked down ashamed but looked up with his eyes over his glasses frames slightly.

"She's my mother." Alice explained watching only him.

"Is your mother that mad at you? What did you do? I shaved the cat once - I was grounded for a month!" Radar blurted.

"She isn't mad Radar!" Alice said in a more sharp tone, stopping his rambles.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Go on." He urged, "my mothers never been mad enough at me that she'd return my mail." He added.

"Radar!" Alice snapped at him and he jumped. "I'm sorry!" He said quickly.

"She isn't mad! She's dead!" Alice glared her green eyes usually so bright became dark.

"Oh..." Radar whispered. "Gosh I'm really sorry, I didn't think about that!" Radar gave an emphatic look.

"It's fine." Alice waved it off and pushed her tray away.

"When did she die?" Radar wondered and Alice didn't speak for a long minute. "Nineteen thirty one." She said making a face she got up and left Radar sat alone at the table...

"Hawk? Can I ask you something?" Radar asked as he found him in the post-op ward.

"Sure, what else am I here for?" He asked as he hooked a chart back on the bed rail.

"It's about Alice." Radar said playing with his fingers again. "What about her? Is she okay?" He stepped closer to Radar. "Oh she's fine, I think ... It's about her mail," he admitted.

"What about it? It was returned." He put a hand on his side, "she's sending it to her mother, but ... Her mother is, dead." Radar explained and Hawkeyes expression changed. "Oh."

"Yeah? I was wondering if I should maybe talk to her or something; you know." He put his hands down against his sides. Nodding Hawkeye thought. "That sounds like a great idea."

"Oh? Really? Good... Good, I'll go do that." He nodded, pointing back behind him and leaving almost tripping over the door step...

"Alice? Oh golly I'm so sorry!" Radar walked in and back out looking away.

"Come in Radar..." Alice said, she held her shirt up under her breasts as she examined the bandaged wounds on her body.

"I didn't mean to walk in honest! I didn't see anything really," Radar confessed, keeping his eyes closed as he stepped back into the tent feeling the door frame. "It's okay, Radar." Alice assured, pulling her shirt down, she didn't even know what he'd seen, there was nothing exposed to see.

"I just, I wanted to say that, I'm sorry." He opened his eyes carefully as he spoke looking at her. Alice turned to face him instead of watching his reflection watching hers in the small mirror. "No, Radar I'm sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Oh that's okay... I understand." He admitted. "My father died you see, when I was really little." His voice had dropped a few tones.

"I'm sorry Radar." Alice made a gesture for him to sit as she sat on the edge of her bunk.

Sitting; "oh its alright, it was a long time ago... I do miss him though." He looked forward. "I understand." Alice nodded; "My mom died when I was six."

"Were you mad at her? I use to feel angry about him dying ... Before I realized dying wasn't something he had planned on doing." Radar looked at her finally.

"I got mad; because, sometimes I couldn't tell if I was remembering my mom or I was remembering dreams I had about my mom." Alice said as Radar nodded the entire time. "Yeah; hey! You know!" Radar perked up. "You could, I mean if you wanted write to my mom! My mom LOVES letters." He brightened.

"Yeah, she'd love it and she wouldn't mind at all!" Radar looked at her happily. "Yeah?" Alice asked.

"Uh huh! Oh but you can't tell her about sometimes when I say words I really shouldn't." He added.

"Promise I wont." Alice held up her pinky finger and Radar smiled wrapping his pinky finger around hers and shaking it slightly. "Thank you, Radar." Alice lent in and hugged him. Freezing not expecting the hug, Radar took a moment to return it with a bigger smile. "You're welcome. Oh I have to go, Colonel Blake wanted my help with his new desk." He got up, fixing his jacket and he was gone...

The day wore on as Alice helped out in post-op for a couple hours, before she found herself back in her tent, sitting with her knees up, a pad of paper rested upon them, she held a pencil in her hand;

_"Dear Misses O'Reilly;_

_My name is Alice Wilson, I'm a Canadian nurse at the 4077th MASH with your son, Radar._

_He said you wouldn't mind if I wrote you, because you love getting letters and replying to them... He seemed pretty into it, so I decided why not?_

_I don't entirely know where to begin - you see I hate beginnings, I'm never good with beginnings or introductions. So maybe I should start off on the one thing we already have in common._

_Your son. Radar is as you probably already know an amazing kid..."_

Alice paused, she scribble carefully over the word: 'kid'.

_"Young man. Without him and I really mean this - without him this outfit wouldn't work, nothing would get done and it would be chaos. He keeps us in the right direction._

_I suppose what I'm trying to say is; thank you, thank you for raising such a polite, thoughtful and well mannered young man._

_We all need Radar more than he needs us I think._

_I have to go now, a man in a dress who won me in a poker game last night is here to take me out..."_

Alice looked up from the paper and made a face.

_"I'll explain that later on. Take care Misses O'Reilly. Until the next time._

_- Alice Wilson."_

She finished just as the door to the tent opened and Klinger appeared wearing a long pleated blue skirt with a white long sleeve blouse, a matching hat with flowers, a fur scar around his neck and a handbag hanging from his elbow, he added four inches to his height with a pair of closed toe white heels.

"Hi Klinger." She smiled folding the letter as she stood up. She wore her plain army green pants and a black turtle neck sweater, her hair she let down an it fell around her shoulders curly.

"Hello; ready to go?" He asked, "Trapper gave me twenty bucks." He gestured to his purse.

"All set." Alice nodded, "why thank you." She smiled taking his arm as he offered it.

"You aren't embarrassed or anything are you?" Klinger wondered as they walked the dirt path up the base to the bar across the road.

"Why would I be embarrassed?" Alice asked.

"Because I'm a very hairy man in a dress." Klinger pointed it out, like it was very casual.

"Klinger - I associate my name with the likes of Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper McIntyre; if that isn't embarrassment, you in a dress certainly isn't." She smile assuringly.

"Thanks." Klinger flashed a genuine smile as Alice opened the bar door for him. "Ladies with class first." She laughed.

"Oh thank you ma'am!" Klinger curtsied entering the bar...

"Well look, if it isn't the cutest little thing in the area." Hawkeye turned his head and looked with a grin. "And Alice," he added.

"You're making me blush, Captain." Klinger turned away waving his hand at him a little bit.

Alice looking amused, watched as Hawkeye stood up and before he could register it, Klinger jumped into his arms. "He's mine ladies; remember that!" He sang as Hawkeye stumbled before catching his balance.

"Hottest couple in Korea." Trapper said raising his shot glass laughing as did everyone else. "I know I'm jealous." Alice smiled, leaning against the bar. "And you should be, I mean... Just look at those two." Trapper lent beside her, their heads turned looking at Klinger holding onto Hawkeyes wrists making him dance with him.

"The definition of dysfunctional." Trapper nodded, tipping his drink back. "Oh, really? I thought the definition of dysfunctional was Trapper John McIntyre." Alice grinned. "Funny, the last time I checked in the dictionary it said; Alice Wilson with a little picture and everything." Trapper grinned.


End file.
